Topic: KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010

[goodguy]

I almost didn't play it because of the intro picture, but while not especially good, it's not as bad as Antares' and Critter's reaction suggests.

[Critter]

I almost didn't play it, because of the intro picture, but while not especially good, it's not as bad as Antares' and Critter's reaction suggests.

I wasn't reacting to that particular Family Guy song that Jon posted. I was reacting to his statement that went along with it that said The Simpsons have never done a musical number to match any in Family Guy. I personally love The Simpsons musical numbers and find many of them iconic of the show. I grew up singing them and can still recite many of them word-for-word. So don't get me wrong, I have nothing against that particular FG song he posted just the sentence that went along with it. For me the Family Guy songs aren't completely terrible, but they could still never even get close to how great some of The Simpsons songs were, but to each his own.

[goodguy]

I was reacting to his statement that went along with it that said The Simpsons have never done a musical number to match any in Family Guy.

Ah, I see. I have to admit I have never watched a complete episode of either The Simpsons or Family Guy, just the occasional bit while zapping around.

[Dragonfire]

I'll watch Family Guy, but it isn't a favorite.  It annoys me more than anything..really I leave it on because nothing else is on that I'm interested in usually. 
I've seen American Dad and The Cleveland Show...not fond of them either.  It kind of ...irks me that that guy who created those shows - Seth McFarlaine or whatever his name is - is basically taking over animation on FOX...his shows are held up as this...high standard now.  They can be entertaining, but they aren't that great.  And none of those shows are anywhere near as good as Futurama.  It really bugs me that Fox brought back Family Guy but didn't Futurama.  At least Comedy Central started showing new episodes.

[Critter]

And none of those shows are anywhere near as good as Futurama.  It really bugs me that Fox brought back Family Guy but didn't Futurama.  At least Comedy Central started showing new episodes.

I can't agree more. Futurama, while not being as great as golden-age Simpsons was still a really fantastic show. And in my eyes like in yours it was much better than any of those McFarlaine shows. Although I must admit that I felt those four Futurama movies were a bit of a miss. They were okay, but they just didn't seem to have the same charm as the original series.

[Dragonfire]

I liked the movies.  I think the new episodes have been good too.  New things happening while still staying true to the characters.

[Critter]

Out of all the cartoons mentioned in this conversation, Futurama is the only one that had an episode that made me cry. That gives it lots of points in my books haha. That show had a heart, something that I think Family Guy etc is lacking. That suites a lot of people but I find it just isn't for me.

[Najemikon]

Ah, but again, Family Guy has never pretended to have a heart.

I could never get into Futurama, to be honest.  I was being serious about the musical numbers, as I can't remember anything standing out in The Simpsons.


More examples... OVERLOAD!!! 





And this one they won an award for, I think. That might explain Fox's furious copyright crackdown so it's audio only...

[Critter]

I can't actually watch those right now because I'm at work but no Family Guy song has ever really stood out for me, not against Simpsons ones anyway. And I know Family Guy  never tries to have a heart, and never pretends to be anything deep and meaningful but I think that's why I don't like it. I'd hate to use the word shallow but I can't think of how else to describe it, just laughs and gags and nothing else, not really my thing I suppose. And I have 5 seasons of it at my house 

[KinkyCyborg]

About Last Night...




Title:About Last Night...
Year: 1986
Director: Edward Zwick
Rating: R
Length: 113 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1, Pan & Scan 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Rob Lowe
Demi Moore
James Belushi
Elizabeth Perkins
George DiCenzo

Plot:
Rob Lowe doesn't want to get serious. Demi Moore doesn't want to get used. Together, they're an unforgettable couple in the sexy, contemporary comedy "About Last Night ...". After drinks at a favorite Chicago hang-out, Danny Martin (Lowe) and Debbie Sullivan (Moore) head to Danny’s place to indulge in the predictable single's quest -- the one-night stand. Their affair is casual, sensual, and supposedly over until something surprising happens. They want to see each other again. It's the start of an intense relationship that irritates Danny's rowdy best friend (James Belushi) and astounds Debbie's cynical buddy/roomie (Elizabeth Perkins), who do everything possible to break them up. But Danny and Debbie wind up living together, and amidst the daily drudge of domestic life, they begin to realize that making love is easy, saying "I love you" more difficult, and being in love the hardest of all. Based on David Mamet's Obie Award-winning play, SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO, ABOUT LAST NIGHT ... is an insightful, provocative and often funny look at romance in the '80s.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

About Last Night is a testimonial to young love that takes both comedic and serious turns at showing us the pitfalls of relationships.

Babyface Rob Lowe made all young women hearts aflutter in the late 80's early 90's but he really kind of disappeared from the limelight, mostly appearing on TV after that.

Demi Moore at about this time was just starting her blossoming career. Speaking of blossoming, watch this movie and then Striptease to see the before and after of her 'bodily enchancements'. She is a gorgeous woman at any stage of her metamorphosis.

The scene stealer in this film is once again John Belushi. The perfect 'best buddy' in all films of the like, he always plays a vulgar ass and does it well, earning the most laughs.

I've never really liked Elizabeth Perkins. I don't know if it's her appearance or demeanor but it seems like in everything I have watched her in she always has her nose in the air. Never really got that.

Been a long time since I watched this and yet I could remember certain scenes right before they happened. Lines that have just stuck with me over the years which is usually a sign that I liked the movie... and I did!

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Nightbreed



Title:Nightbreed
Year: 1990
Director: Clive Barker
Rating: R
Length: 101 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Craig Sheffer
Anne Bobby
David Cronenberg
Charles Haid
Hugh Quarshie

Plot:
Boone (Craig Sheffer) may be a troubled young man, but his troubles are just beginning. Set up as the fall guy in a string of slasher murders, he decides he'll hide by crossing the threshold that separates us from them and sneak into the forbidden subterranean realm of Midian. Boone will live among the monsters.

Hellraiser creator Clive Barker writes (adapting his novel Cabal) and directs this vivid leap into horror that asks: in the battle of man vs. monster, who's really the monster? The answer supplies flesh-crawling suspense, sudden fear, a colorful Danny Elfman score and a creepy array of shape-shifting beings. They are the Nightbreed, denizens of a world beyond death, beyond the imagination, perhaps beyond anything you've seen.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Production Notes
Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

A Clive Barker movie starring David Cronenberg.... oh boy...   

I've actually seen this before and it still holds up after many years as being fresh and unique. Fantastic artistry in the makeup, countless boogeymen all with their own unique personalities and a surprising amount of pyrotechnics for what must have been a low budget film. The unimaginable horrors you witness are straight out of Barker's twisted mind and they are truly a site to behold.

Sandwiched in between Barker's first few Hellraiser movies and based on his novel Cabal, it chronicles a society of horrid outcasts who are freaks, unable to exist in society but also unable to remain in the shadows, out of the reach of those too curious, or too hateful to leave them alone. The book is part of my 'to read' pile.

This macabre world is definitely right up Cronenberg's alley as he has creations of his own to rival this but he demonstrates quite pointedly that he should remain on the creative end of films as, while quite creepy in appearance in Nightbreed, he's better off leaving the acting to others.

I always like it when somewhere in Canada serves as the backdrop to the story and for this one it was Alberta. Honestly... how many more times do you expect to hear the Calgary Stampede mentioned in a horror film?! 

Been a while since I've seen this one but it has vaulted back up to one of my top 5 favorite horror movies. 

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Venom



Title:Venom
Year: 2004
Director: Jim Gillespie
Rating: R
Length: 85 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: Spanish

Stars:
Agnes Bruckner
Jonathan Jackson
Laura Ramsey
D. J. Cotrona
Rick Cramer

Plot:
'Venom' is a fright-filled voodoo thriller loaded with a sizzling cast of the screen's hottest young stars! Set deep in the eerie swamps of southern Louisiana -- Agnes Bruckner ('Murder By Numbers'), Jonathan Jackson ('Tuck Everlasting'), and Meagan Good ('Roll Bounce') are among a group of teenagers trying to uncover the truth behind a friend's mysterious death. What they find is an evil force more deadly than anyone could have imagined! Now they are the ones running for their lives! Also starring Bijou Phillips ('Almost Famous') and Method Man ('Garden State') - critics everywhere hailed this chilling and thrilling horror tale!

Extras:
Scene Access
Featurettes
Storyboard Comparisons

My Thoughts:

Second horror movie in a row and another that didn't disappoint.

The voodoo swamps of Louisiana sets the scene for this movie of a dead man who gets possessed by the many dark souls of many evil and murderous killers.

Excellent scenes of gore, many creative kills and very good acting (for a horror flick!) made for an enjoyable movie.

This movie fooled me however. It's set in Louisiana and yet there was a scene where a train goes by with CN Rail printed on the sides of the cars so I thought AHH!, filmed in Canada! I checked the filming locations on IMDB and it told me that all the locations were in or around New Orleans. I figured that can't be right. Sitting here stumped for awhile I decided to check out the CN Rail website and lo and behold CN Rail does in fact travel to New Orleans, one of North America's largest ports! As if!!  I had no idea.

Great movie and worthy of a recommendation. Check it out if you haven't already.

KC

Rating:

[KinkyCyborg]

Apocalypse Now



Title:Apocalypse Now
Year: 1979
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Rating: R
Length: 153 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.00:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English

Stars:
Marlon Brando
Robert Duvall
Martin Sheen (1940)
Frederic Forrest
Albert Hall

Plot:
Francis Ford Coppola's stunning vision of man's heart of darkness revealed through the madness of the Vietnam War. Lieutenant Willard (Martin Sheen) receives orders to seek out a renegade military outpost led by the mysterious Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Willard's mission: "Terminate with extreme prejudice." One of the most powerful films of all time, Apocalypse Now was nominated for eight Academy Awards® and won two for Best Sound and Best Cinematography.

Extras:
Scene Access
Feature Trailers
Closed Captioned
Theatrical Program Excerpts, Kurtz Compound Footage

My Thoughts:

The horror... the horror...

Coppola's iconic Vietnam war film which follows one bizarre descent into madness after another.

The dialogue and the images from this movie imprint in your mind after watching it. Whether it's Duvall declaring ' I love the smell of napalm in the morning ' to the image of Sheen and his slow rise from beneath the putrid waters surface as he begins his end game move.... you can't believe what you are seeing and can't possibly rip your eyes away from it.

Brando gets many of the accolades for this film but the dynamic force in Apocalypse Now is Martin Sheen as Captain Willard. His mission is clear, he knows the reasons why Colonel Kurtz must be put down, in fact he understands the reasons all too well. Watching him try to keep a tenuous grip on his own sanity long enough to complete his mission is spellbinding to watch. In my estimation this is Sheen's finest performance.

Dennis Hopper was reportedly so stoned during the filming of his parts that they just wrote his wigged out persona into the script and his ramblings fit quite well into the chaos portrayed all around him.

Very young stars Harrison Ford, Scott Glenn (he never utters a word) and Lawrence Fishburne who looks like he is about 14 years old, all get to experience greatness early in their careers albeit in minor roles.

The aspect of Apocalypse Now that for me makes this film extraordinary is the ambiance. The steady stream of uneven characters, the smoky haze, the littered landscape and the haunting, chaotic musical score underline the theme of madness, keeping the viewer off balance, dazed but hypnotized.

Great film! 

KC

Rating:

[Achim]

In my estimation this is Sheen's finest performance.

...and it almost killed him to get there

I appreciate this film more each time I see it (well, only twice so far ). The most disturbing scene for me has always been the ritual with the cow. I keep reading up whether it was real or fake and then keeping forgetting which it was

[Dragonfire]

I had to watch this one in high school in senior English...and then write a paper on it.  I hated it.